Pubdate: Fri, 22 Sep 2006
Source: Flume, The (CO)
Copyright: 2006 The Park County Republican & Fairplay Flume
Contact: http://theflume.com/formlayout.asp?formcall=stafflist_feedback
Website: http://theflume.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4277
Author: Roger Easley
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

EASLEY RESPONDS

To the Editor,

This is in response to Krista Hopkins' libelous comments in her letter to 
the editor of The Flume on September 15, 2006, regarding my judgment and my 
campaign.

Selling drugs to children is an example of the real crimes I will pursue. 
There is no "war on nicotine" or "war on beer," yet selling those to minors 
also falls under endangerment, contributing, etc. These are important laws. 
I will enforce all drug laws equally.

Furthermore, if a hypothetical 10-year-old is buying drugs, CPS should 
investigate why the parents are not supervising, protecting, disciplining; 
in other words, raising their child!

I do care about the safety of our children. Selling drugs to minors is 
illegal. My concern about safety also includes the drug peddlers from 
Merck, Pfizer, etc.

Second, when kids start doing drugs, and many will, they will be supporting 
the black market, paying many times the cost, with no controls for safety. 
Third, a large number of kids are now in foster homes because their parents 
are doing time for drug offenses. Foster children are much more likely to 
be abused than kids living with their natural parents.

I would like to see all kids drug free. However, that is not going to 
happen. Therefore, we should treat substance abuse as a health issue rather 
than a criminal issue. Whereas drugs "may" ruin a kid's life, many of the 
prison stories about gangs, rapes, drugs, murders, etc. "do" ruin the lives 
of our youth. Is jail a better answer than love for someone with an addiction?

Let's not make the campaign only about the drug war. There are dozens of 
freedoms currently under attack, and the time to defend these freedoms is 
short.

Roger Easley, Hartsel
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D